The Pan-Niger Delta Forum on Wednesday called on Nigeria’s President, Dictator Muhammadu Buhari , to restructure the country before leaving office in 2023.
PANDEF stated that every government had always preferred to leave on a strong note and leave a legacy for the people, maintaining that Buhari’s regime should not be an exception.
Speaking in a telephone interview , the General Secretary of the forum, Mr Alfred Muleda, explained that apart from making Nigeria strong economically, restructuring would make the country more united.
Muleda noted that every region of the country stood to benefit from restructuring, maintaining that the President should take the vexed issue (restructuring) seriously.
He said, “Every government wants to leave a legacy behind and Buhari’s government is not an exception. So, what PANDEF wants President Buhari to do before leaving office is to do all within the powers that are available to the government to ensure that Nigeria is properly structured for the benefit of everybody.
“Restructuring will make Nigeria to remain united and strong, even as he leaves office. This will now be a legacy and a reference point whenever you mention his (Buhari) name.
“People will say that this is what Buhari has been able to achieve. He should address the vexed issue of restructuring because this affects every part of the country, not just the Niger Delta region.
“The President should also deal with the issue of security. There is also the security component under restructuring. PANDEF looks forward to seeing him leave on a strong note.”
The PANDEF scribe, however, welcomed the withdrawal of troops from internal operations, adding that the people of Niger Delta had indicated that they were not comfortable with the militarisation of the region.
Muleda pointed out that some security personnel deployed in the region might constitute security nuisance in their area of coverage.
He said, “If they (Federal Government) feel that withdrawing some aspects of security from those areas will solve the issue of insecurity, so be it. Sometimes, the deployment of security forces in a place could also exacerbate security situation.
“Sometimes, the security people deployed in a particular area may even constitute security nuisance. For instance, in the Niger Delta, we are clamouring that there is no need militarising the region.
“That is essentially asking government to withdraw security and embrace other means of engagement to ensure security.”
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